To Die for Rebirth
by Jollybird
Summary: Summer after fifth year, Harry Potter found out that he was Sebastian Snape, son of Hogwarts' Potions Master, Severus Snape. Follow Sebastian in his journey to heal and improve himself! Non-HBP and DH compliance. Warning: implied rape, abuse, non-graphic
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: This is a rewrite of To Have a Father but with a much darker and disturbing theme. I wrote ThaF a long time ago and I realized how sucky things are. Weak plot, weak character, unsupported actions. This chapter is quite disturbing with Vernon being so intimate with Harry but I feel the need to do it to bring more drama to Harry's character.

**To Die for Rebirth**

**Prologue**

A young man in his teen years stood in front of the body length mirror at the corner of a small, dark, but unusually neat room. Gone was the childish and round features he once had, replaced by strong jawlines that reflected his masculinity. The spark of innocence in his blazing emerald eyes was also replaced by a look of intelligence and resignation. Throughout the summer Harry Potter's appearance had morphed into the stranger he was staring at right then. His once tanned skin was pale and his cheekbones were higher. The usual mop of black hair jutting out to all directon was now lying flat with some red highlights visible under the sun. It was obvious that Harry was not James Potter's son. Despite that Harry found it hard to deduct his biological dad as his new features had much resemblance to Lily Potter spare the slightly more squared jaws.

Harry turned away from the mirror and collapsed to his creaky old bed.

_I can't believe that I have been living a lie for so long. No wonder everyone told me how I look like James a lot. I should have known that the resemblance is not natural. After all, nothing is ever normal for me. I am just a freak that caused trouble. I am the reason why Sirius is dead. Sneaking into Snape's pensieve which caused the professor's wrath has undone the abysmal Occlumency ability that I gained, cause Voldemort to be able to access my mind. Of course, like some stupid Gryffindor I had jumped into consequences, fire-calling Kreacher instead of contacting Sirius with the two-way mirror. Everything has always been his fault._

Heavy footsteps were then heard approaching the small room. The sound of a click indicated the arrival of his abusive Uncle Vernon. A sudden feeling of horror crept into Harry's mind. Somehow he knew that something bad was going to happen to him.

Throughout the summer he had been left alone in his room. The Dursleys did not give him any chores and he was locked inside his room without access to his school trunk. Food came intermittently in the form of stale bread and a glass of water. He was let out once a day to use the loo and every three days he was allowed to send Hedwig over to the Order of the Phoenix to give them updates about his wellbeing. Of course he wrote that he was fine as his uncle would oversee his writing the letter with two beefy forceful and painful grasps on his shoulders.

If the Dursleys noticed his changing appearance, they did not comment about it. Harry could swear that everytime his uncle saw him he had a strange glint on his eyes but he was thankful that his relatives had left him alone until then.

Two days ago was the last time he wrote a letter to the Order. And two days ago was also the last time he ate. He was not given any food after that. Harry's bad feeling was justified because Vernon would rarely visit him in his room. He normally would only oversee Harry writing the letter in the dining room and sent him back to his pitiful bedroom after. Today, though was different.

Harry wisely got up and sat on the edge of his bed. His peripheral vision told him that the sun had just set and the sky was getting dark quickly. He then looked at Uncle Vernon questioningly. He knew better than to ask for food because even with the limited light he could tell that Vernon was clearly not in a good mood. His uncle's face was showing signs of rage and turning purple rather rapidly.

"Hello boy. I see that you are still alive to my dismay," Vernon whispered clearly with a streak of sadism underlying his raspy voice.

Sensing the aggression, Harry scooted further away from his uncle. But he knew he was cornered. His room was really small and by scooting further away he was actually cornering himself. Without food for two days and the constant malnourishment throughout the summer Harry knew he could not put any resistance. A look of fear found its way to his face, but it was quickly replaced by resignation. There was nothing he could do to stop whatever from happening right now.

Vernon seemed smug to see his resigned and fearful expression. He smiled predatorily, approached Harry, and said, "Harry, Harry, Harry. Look at what you have done… Let me tell you one thing that I'm sure you already know…". Vernon placed his beefy right hand upon Harry's left cheek and rubbed rather endearingly. "I used to hate your guts!" With a sudden movement the disturbing rub turned into a harsh slap. The force behind the slap caused Harry to bumped into the bedpost, rendering him very dizzy at that moment.

"But, I have noticed the shift in your appearance throughout the summer. You truly are a _Freak_, you know…" This time Vernon cupped Harry's cheeks with his two hands. "… a truly _beautiful _and _attractive _one. Such pale face, such _vulnerable_ creature…" Letting Harry's face out of his hands, he grabbed the boy forcefully by his collar and sat uncomfortably close to the boy. Leaning forward, Vernon licked Harry's neck in pleasure. "Aah… the taste of your fear!"

Harry's mind was running wild and overdrive right now. Something was clearly not right with his uncle. His sense of survival is blaring high.

With the same eerie whisper Vernon continued, "Did you know…? I have been unable to concentrate at work since you came back. Your new appearance always comes into the front of my mind. You're driving me crazy, _dear boy_. And guess what? I was fired today. But I don't care Harry. I only want to have you. Only you."

Harry felt like he was drenched in a bath tub full of ice. Listening to his uncle's monologue terrified him. He tried to scoot away further but Vernon captured both his wrist using his right hand. Harry struggled but he was in no condition to overpower his uncle. Harry felt the room fading away until an unbearable pain hit him full force. He screamed. He regained his awareness. He was tied up to to the bedposts, spread-eagle, his head facing the room door which was blocked from his view by his uncle's crotch. To his horror, Vernon was down to his boxers and he could see the erection underneath. Worse, Harry realized he was stark naked.

Vernon grabbed a handful of his hair to make Harry face him. "Welcome back, _Harry_. Do you like what you see?" he asked with a disturbingly adoring tone.

Harry wanted to retch then and there but he couldn't because there was nothing in his stomach.

"Answer me when I talk to you Harry!" Vernon said and swung his belt across Harry's back. The sudden sting made Harry cried out rather forlornly. "Yes! That's the way, _Harry_. Scream for me, my pretty _freak_. Show me your fear, bring me ecstasy!"

Harry could not believe his senses. His uncle was actually turned on by all this. He could not remember how long the whipping continued. Harry remembered begging his uncle to stop but that seemed to turn him on even more and the whipping continued with more fervor. The young man tried to endure the pain, praying to Gods above and Merlin but nothing happened. He willed his magic to act out but the long term malnourishment and recent starvation prevented him from doing so. His magic was simply too weak.

Soon, resignation came and Harry just stared and endured the pain from the whipping. He was sure that his back was bleeding badly but he could care less. He just wanted his uncle to get over his _sickness_ and leave. Too bad this did not happen. Instead, Uncle Vernon had gone further to the extent of taking his nephew's innocence. When it happened the young boy was completely resigned. Deep down he knew that he had died then. Harry James Potter had died.

A/N: Was that too gruesome? Has my English improved now? I truly hope so! Please review and let me know if you like it! :)


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

**To Die for Rebirth**

**Chapter 1**

**Unexpected Discovery**

Severus Snape was definitely not a happy man. His summer, which should have been paradise away from the little rascals in school, would be over in a month give or take a few days. Worse, instead of having his time-off alone he was roped back into his espionage role because of the Dark Lord's return two summers ago. The potions master did not enjoy being a Death Eater. Sighing, he collapsed into his comfortable armchair across the fireplace and reflected upon his decision to be a Death Eater.

It was an honest mistake that had led him to take the Dark Mark. Being a Slytherin, Severus was very well connected to the madman's followers, especially Lucius Malfoy. Severus used to idolize the Malfoy for being able to carry himself well but he was never close to the platinum-haired wizard who was two years his senior. However starting from his sixth year after the darned Marauders humiliated him post-OWLs and his estrangement from his best friend Lily Evans, he grew closer to his acquaintances in Slytherin. Soon he fell into the lure of darkness and without proper consideration Severus took the dark mark out of loyalty and awe to Lucius Malfoy upon graduation.

The reality of being a Death Eater only dawned on him when he was forced to engage on unmentionable activities that he would never had done before. Severus was commanded to go on raids – destroying random muggle villages while torturing and raping the inhabitants before murdering them. He remembered the night of his first raid. It was a horrible night. It was the night when he had to make his first kill under the surveillance of the Dark Lord as a test of loyalty of the new recruits. His sense of self-survival betrayed his conscience as he murdered the 5-year-old blonde muggle girl savagely. Severus Snape never did things in halves. He could still recall Voldemort cackling in delight and the Death Eaters cheering rowdily.

Severus poured himself a glass of fire-whiskey and pinched the bridge of his nose. He had thrown up once he got home after the raid. It was then he realized how serious a mistake being a Death Eater had been. It was on the same night he made up his mind in resolve to redeem himself. Severus Snape had been a spy for the light ever since.

Because Severus wanted to reduce his participation in raids to a minimum, he started pursuing his Potions mastery. Fortunately he had always been gifted in the subject although his love had always been the Defense of the Dark Arts and the Dark Arts itself because he was a man of action. Granted, the Dark Lord was happy that he then had the youngest Potions Master in the Great Britain to cater to his Potions needs and allowed Severus to pursue his brewing instead of actively participating in raids. His special position in the Death Eaters ranks gave him the autonomy to sit in for meetings without suspicions. The dark side was rather trusting back then because Severus had shown great potential and loyalty.

The cause of his frustration at that moment was not his past though. Joining the rank back after the Dark Lord resurrection had been extremely different. Gone was the trust that he had earned. He was always under surveillance. The Dark Lord did not trust him as much because the story went that he crawled to Dumbledore for protection. Little did he know that Severus had been Dumbledore's man long before that. His current status in the Death Eaters rank was insignificant. He did not get to sit in for the Inner Circle meeting, hence the lack of knowledge for the Department of Mysteries incident. Severus really needed to figure out how to gain back his previous advantage.

The Potions Master made a _tch_ sound at the back of his mouth as his musing was disturbed by his personal alarm. It was a soft _ding _indicating that it was time for the Order of the Phoenix meeting. Although he did not connect well with the members of the order, he did enjoy making them frustrated with his smirk and sardonic comments. But the best thing of being in the order is that he knew he would be appreciated and trusted by its leader: Albus Dumbledore. Although Dumbledore could be manipulative and slightly annoying at times, Severus loved the man as a father he never had. Severus got up from his armchair with little effort and headed to the fireplace to floo over to 12 Grimmauld Place.

* * *

><p>Albus Dumbledore did not have a good week. All his plans to thwart the Dark Lord's recruiting force had come to dead ends. Werewolves were not showing much cooperation even with Remus Lupin swaying them away from the Dark. Fenrir Greyback's dominance had proven very hard to overcome. Other werewolves cowered in fear when they heard of his name. The ministry had been a mess as well with Fudge out of the picture with a vote of no confidence when Tom Riddle decided that it was a good idea to show up in the Ministry Atrium attacking the savior of Wizarding World, Harry Potter. The political vacuum left the ministry in disarray. It also gave chance to Voldemort's sympathizer to rise up through the ranks, racing towards the post of Ministry of Magic. Dumbledore was tired of all this, but he had to be strong for any hope to destroy the dark side. The Light side did not currently have a leader and figurehead. He had thought countless of times to draw Harry into the picture but he was reluctant to destroy the boy's youth. But with the prophecy out in the open, Harry would still be pulled into the war. Shaking his head softly he sat on the head of the table and began the meeting.<p>

"Greetings my dear friends! It is good to see you again today. I don't want to keep everyone here for too long so let us just go into business. As many of you had noticed, things have not been going to our way lately. Let's update each other with your current projects and discussed some matters of importance!" Albus addressed his most trusted people, the main committee of the Order of the Phoenix. Over the last two months, the Order had been actively recruiting for members. The casualties caused by the debacle at the Department of Mysteries had been quite the eye opener that they were really underprepared. Although they managed to capture several renowned Death Eaters, casualties from their side were too valuable. It was also quite certain that Voldemort would be able to free the captured Death Eaters with the current ministry in chaos.

From his right, Remus began, "There are still no progress with the werewolves. Most civilized pack in Scotland agreed not to assist the Dark Lord but they are too wary of the current regulation for werewolves to side with us. On the other hand the more aggressive packs willingly went with Fenrir Greyback to support the dark. Although they are much smaller in number, the aggressive packs are threefold more dangerous because they would kill and infect people without a care." Remus took a deep breath, "Our problem right now is that we don't have enough incentives to get the werewolves' alliance."

The order members then took turn to update each other with their progress. Arthur Weasley was able to round up several ministry workers to their round. Amelia Bones, the director of Department of Magical Law Enforcement, had willingly joined the Order. Director Bones was directly initiated to be in the Order's main committee. She also brought over a group of trustworthy aurors, including Rufus Scrimgeour. Mad-Eye Moody had managed to attract several powerful Hit-Wizards to join their rank except for some dark arts users who were unwilling to give their assistance. He was then working on to get the Hit-Wizard association to but a ban for its members from assisting Voldemort's operation.

Despite the good progress they had made with the ministry and hit-wizards, the following updates were not as cheerful. The vampires were completely against them, pledging allegiance to Voldemort should they try to approach the clan again. Most dark creatures also shunned the idea of assisting the Light side. Mundungus Fletcher, who had a lot of contacts in the underground Wizarding World, had been ostracized for trying to recruit people to the order. They had now lost their source of information from the seedier part of the world. Severus' progress as Death Eater spy was not visible as well. Voldemort had yet to trust him in any of the crucial operations. Overall it was not a pretty picture.

Dumbledore ended the discussion, "From the updates you can see how far we are from our targets. Please follow up with your current project and we shall meet again soon. Let's always have the optimism in mind because I believe if we put a lot of efforts into this, the situation will get better. That should be all for today, except anyone has something else to say?"

Because Mundungus 'Dung' Fletcher was ostracized, he did not have many activities going on. For the time being, he had been tasked with keeping track of Harry Potter's correspondence. "I have something that may be of importance," Dung said. "I have yet to receive a letter from Harry, which is due today. Normally the letter would come during afternoon time but I did not receive anything today."

Dumbledore looked thoughtful and said, "Let's wait until tomorrow. The day after tomorrow is his birthday and he was probably out with his relatives. Keep me updated if you still do not receive anything by then. We are stretched thin as it is and I believe the war preparation has the utmost priority right now. Mundungus, please also try to re-establish your reputation with your _acquaintances_." With that, he wrapped up the meeting.

* * *

><p>30 July 1996. 4 Private Drive was unusually quiet that night. Petunia Dursley and Dudley Dursley were out vacationing to France with delight after Vernon gifted them with the vacation package. For all the neighbors knew, the Dursley family was not going through anything abnormal. They did not know that Vernon had lost his job two days ago. They also did not know that the delinquent nephew, Harry Potter, who went to St. Brutus, was lying naked on his bed. Harry's eyes were open but there were no life in them anymore. They had been that way since two days ago after his uncle's sexual abuse.<p>

The only light in that small room was a halogen bulb near the entrance. Suddenly the entrance was thrown open and Vernon Dursley waltzed in with a maniacal grin. The little light from the halogen light bulb was temporarily blocked out because of the magnitude of Vernon's body. Harry could only see his uncle's silhouette. He made no response as he had resigned from any struggle since two days ago. He did not care anymore and he was just waiting for his life force to leave his body. Vernon seemed to sense this and he was going to try and bring his nephew back because it was more exhilarating for him to be able to hear Harry's scream and to see his terrorized face. Vernon kept his left hand behind his back and bent beside the bed so that he was on the same eye level with Harry.

"Hello, Harry dear. You look terrific tonight," he said and planted a forceful kiss to Harry's chapped lips. Harry just lied there unresponsively.

"Do you know what date it is today, Harry? Today is July 30th, and in a few minutes, dear boy, it will be your sixteenth birthday."

Vernon got up to the bed and sat on top of Harry. He began fondling him for a few minutes. "Ah. It's your birthday, Harry. Happy birthday! I have a really special gift for you…" Vernon whispered and planted feather light kisses on the boy.

He brought his left hand forward and showed what was on his hand to Harry. Hedwig was struggling hard against Vernon's beefy hands but no voice came out. It seemed that Vernon had stuffed her beak with some sort of cloth while still allowing her to breathe. A flicker of recognition and panic found its way to Harry's emerald orbs and Vernon cackled in pleasure. "Happy birthday, Harry!" with that Vernon brought his right hand to join his left and broke the white owl's neck in one snap. Hedwig was no more.

At the same time, Harry felt a torrent of rage making its way towards his core. He could feel a spurt of magic trying to reach out and blast his uncle out of the way but something went totally wrong. Something that he could best describe as short circuit happened when his magic was trying to reach out and instead he felt his body burning and rising in temperature. The magic kept accumulating in his weakened physique, putting painful pressures on his organs and after a minute or so Harry lost his consciousness. Magic flooded Harry's whole system and exploded in a blast of rainbow colors to all direction.

Vernon was looking at Harry both in satisfaction for being able to bring life back to his eyes and in confusion for what was happening before him. After his nephew fell unconscious, Vernon had no time to react when lights of multicolor started emitting out of his nephew's naked body and blasted him full force. Vernon Dursley flew to the direction of the door and hit his head on the halogen light bulb. For some freak accident his hand touched the electric socket and Vernon Dursley was electrocuted to death.

* * *

><p>30 July 1996, Hogwarts. Severus Snape had been brewing potions for the infirmary needs since yesterday and had yet to come back to his study desk. When he was finished with his brewing, Severus went to his desk to scribble labels for the phials of potions. Sometimes doing such mindless things helped him clear his mind. He was about to start on the last set of labels when he noticed a brown parcel on his desk. He vividly remembered receiving it a few days back but he completely forgot about it because he had to leave for some important meeting. Putting down his quill, Severus took the parcel and opened it.<p>

Inside was a roll of parchments and a phial containing silvery substance he identified as memory strains. He wondered silently who might have sent the parcel and started opening the letter. He was stunned to see the handwriting he had missed so much, the handwriting of one Lily Potter nee Evans.

_Dear Sev,_

_If you receive this parcel, it means that I am no longer in this world. The information carried by this letter and several memories inside the phial is one that I would have told you in person if I could. During your time as a spy for the Order, there was a time where our paths crossed when we were at opposing sides. You would not remember it since I myself obliviated the memory from your mind._

_I just got married to James then. We had a big quarrel and I ended up staying with my parents for a while. We stayed in a quiet suburb not far from London. I was quite unfortunate that Voldemort attacked the suburb when I was there. It was terrible. Anti-apparition and anti-portkey wards were up and our fireplace was not connected to the Floo network. The three of us were surrounded by a group of Death Eaters. Thankfully you recognized me right away. They wanted to rape me but you stepped in and insisted that you got your way first. I don't think I can replay the details for you but I extracted the memory for you because I think it is your right to decide. Believe me, I don't blame you for any of it. You had no choice not to do it because your companions insisted that you did me there and then, in front of them. However, I was eternally grateful that you stepped in to prevent the other jerks from soiling me._

_Help finally came from the ministry and the Order and the Death Eaters flew from the scene, leaving you and me. You were on the verge of breaking down and in one split second I obliviated you of all the memories. I noticed how you were very broken at the time you just joined the order. I braced myself to ask Headmaster Dumbledore and I learned the truth about your dislike of inflicting pains in others. I did not want you to be that vulnerable again. Despite our falling out in the last 2 years of school, I still treasured you as my best friend._

_No one else knew about this incident. James and I made up and I soon found out I was pregnant. You would know what I am implying here, right? Yes, Severus. Harry Potter is your biological son. I never told James, nor anyone else. I put a strong glamor charm and an adoption ritual using James' blood on him when he was born to mask his appearance as well as his magical signature and core. However because James never participated knowingly, the charm and ritual would end after sixteen years. In fact Harry would start changing back to his natural form one month before his sixteenth birthday._

_I scheduled this parcel to be sent three days before his sixteenth birthday because I need to warn you of one thing. At the stroke of midnight on his birthday when the glamour charm dropped, Harry would need to be in his best condition, both physically and magically. Depleted magical core and weak physique may cause unwanted circumstances and might be fatal. I did not want this to happen to my Harry. So please help me ensure that the completion of the change went on well._

_I love you, Sev, as my best friend since before Hogwarts. I know you have always been a good man deep down inside and I am truly sorry to have dumped everything to you like this. I would love to be there for our soon during this time of change as well but it apparently won't happen. Please take care of him for me, for us._

_Love,_

_Lily Potter_

Severus could not believe his eyes. Harry Potter, the arrogant little prick, was his biological son. He jumped at the sound of his Grandfather Clock, signaling midnight. "Damn. It's already 31st July!" he exclaimed on panic. He gathered everything back into the box and rushed to the floo to find the headmaster. Yes, it was best to let the senile headmaster know about this and he would be on his way to check on Potter.

_**To be continued…**_

* * *

><p>AN: over 3,000 words! It took me around five hours to come up with this chapter (and also some story plots). I did not only stick to the plot though. When I was writing, things just came up and it seems to me that several things discussed in the Order's meeting would be great plot material. I hope you like this first chapter! Please review to inform me how I can improve on the story! Any suggestions (or even flames) are welcome.

Thank you for the story alerts and favs. Also for those reading the story anonymously. I hope this story can give something new to the Severitus fiction pool although I won't follow Severitus challenge to the dot. Another thing, I am going to keep my chapters relatively short so that updates can be faster. Currently studying for my undergraduate degree, I will be overwhelmed with project works during certain period. Keep the alerts coming though! :)

Review. Review. Review! ~Jollybird


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

**To Die for Rebirth**

**Chapter 2**

**Rescuing Harry**

The Headmaster's office at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was deserted in the middle of that night, spare for an old man with long white hair and beard scribbling last minute paper works before he was going to turn in for the day. Albus Dumbledore had a boring day full of mundane office duties for his roles in Wizengamot, ICW, and Hogwarts. He was really too old for all that. When the time came he would gladly release all his posts but with the current war waging he had no choice. Without a warning, green fire erupted from his fireplace and a black-clad figure stepped out into the quirky office full of strange instruments.

"Headmaster!" Severus Snape called as soon as he was out of the fireplace. Albus noticed a tint of panic and worry lacing his voice. "Yes, Severus? I am quite surprised to see you here this late. Is there any problem?" he said and gestured his hand to the chair at the other side of his desk.

"Yes. I need to check on Potter right now. Here, you'll understand when you read this," Severus said and dropped a small brown parcel carefully to the headmaster's desk. "You can read the letter but please don't look at the memories just yet," he said quickly, turned back to the fireplace, dropped a pinch of Floo powder and shouted, "The Leaky Cauldron!"

Dumbledore looked at his Potions Master in wonder. "_Just what could have made him lose his composure like that?" _he thought. Shaking his head lightly in amazement, Dumbledore opened the parcel and took the letter.

He had to read the letter three times before comprehending the magnitude of it. He just hoped that Harry Potter would be safe from any harm.

* * *

><p>The Potions Professor appeared by Floo at the Leaky Cauldron. Once he got out, the black-clad man directly apparated to a secluded lane by Privet Drive, Surrey. He brisk-walked to house number four and took notice of the unusual quietness and the lack of lights in the house. Shrugging away the irregularity due to the late hour, he discreetly entered the house after unlocking the door with a simple <em>alohomora<em>. The inside of 4 Privet Drive was pitch dark as the only light he got was from the streetlamp located two houses away. With a whispered _lumos_, Severus examined the house.

There was no hint that revealed the existence of one Harry Potter in that house. Hanged photographs on the wall only displayed a married couple and their blonde-haired fat son. Severus recognized the woman to be Lily's sister. He had met Petunia when he was young during the pre-Hogwarts time. The Snapes and the Evans used to live in the same neighborhood at Spinner's End. Shaking his thought of Petunia and Lily, he casted a magic detection charm used to identify magical items and signatures. From his wand, two faint strains of light reached out to two different locations. The nearer one pointed to the cupboard under the stairs, which he decided to check first.

Another _alohomora _opened the locked cupboard. Severus peeked inside and found Harry's magical trunk and Hedwig's cage stored inside. Finding the light switch next to the door, he flicked it on. However, the light bulb won't turn on. He drew the conclusion that something is wrong with the electrical fuses, as the garden lights were not on either. He put more power to his lumos spell and illuminated the small cupboard.

On the floor he saw a small worn cot that he would normally deduce to be a house-elf's. But knowing how anti-magic Lily's sister was, he dismissed the possibility. He came to the only possibility. This was, or at least used to be Harry Potter's room. He noticed several old drawings on the walls and the ceiling which would definitely be Harry's judging by the strokes he was so familiar of after grading his essays for five years. The number of drawings could only mean one thing: Harry Potter was frequently locked in. Guilt ran its course on him as he had always treated Harry as a spoiled brat who was worshipped at home and everywhere else. But looking at the reality now, he would have to apologize as soon as he could especially with the now-known truth that he was his father. With that mental reminder, a shot of anger directed towards the Dursleys came into his mind. He was so going to hurt them.

Severus had to engage active Occlumency to control his anger and guilt. After a minute or so he regained control and withdrew from the cupboard. He closed the door and followed the other strain of magic upstairs. He was terrified to see the strain go inside a door with three padlocks and a cat flap attached. They seemed to be newly installed. The padlocks were left open so Severus adopted a fighting stance in case someone was waiting inside.

With alertness he kicked the door open. The door did not completely open because it was blocked by something big, some_one_ big. He bent down cautiously, still keeping his wand out, and checked on the body blocking the door. A quick check revealed a dead Vernon Dursley. Dursley's body was still warm and Severus easily identified electrocution as the cause of death. Severus shook his head with regret for not being able to hurt the whale himself and kicked the man's body aside. The room was in a mess. It seemed that some explosion had happened recently and Vernon landed on the electric socket. "Served him right," Severus mumbled softly.

He saw a silhouette lying limp on the small worn bed and his heart skipped a beat. Severus approached the bed tentatively, not having the courage of lighting up the room with stronger _lumos_.He was afraid to find out the condition his newfound son would be in. The journey to the bed took him faster than he had wanted because of the small size of the room. Harry Potter was lying there naked and limp. He did not resemble the infuriating young Potter boy he was so used to see in school. Instead, he saw some resemblance to himself despite Lily dominating the features. He was definitely not in a good physical condition and with such physique Severus could bet that his son's magical core was not in its prime either. Cold rage engulfed the Potions Master. The condition Harry was in brought many different scenarios that could have had happened to him on the hand of Vernon Dursley. He just wished that things were not too extreme – little did he know. While he was angry towards the Dursley before, he was enraged to the point that Vernon Dursley should be glad he was dead right now.

Severus finally grasped the gravity of the situation and quickly ran a diagnostic charm over the boy. At least the magical detection charm detected his presence, which was a good indication of Harry being alive. He was glad that Harry was at least alive, although only barely. Another spell provided him with his son's level of magical reserve. It was running pretty low despite there was evident of magic being lashed out in the room. _'This should be the case Lily had written about. Such thing will only happen to Pot- Harry. Aren't there enough weird things happening to you? The philosopher's stone, Slytherin's Chamber, Triwizard champion, the latest department of mysteries debacle…' _Severus mused.

Based on Harry's reserve level, it would not be possible for him to travel via magical means. Severus decided to use the traditional Knight Bus due to its low magical exposure. He took off his coat and wrapped it over Harry before carrying him downstairs. A few quick spells shrunk Harry's trunk and other belongings, which flew into Severus' pocket. He then left the house quietly and boarded the Knight Bus as soon as it arrived. He would leave Dumbledore and his turkeys to do the clean up work later.

* * *

><p>Dumbledore was still at his desk, considering the recent information that he had gotten. Harry Potter was never a Potter at all. This changed a lot of things. Harry would still be the Child of Prophecy because Severus should have defied the Dark Lord more than three times. If the information went public, Harry might lose some sway that his name had carried. Potter was a well-known light supporter. Severus Snape, however, was a renowned Death Eater. He really needed to figure out how to overcome this problem.<p>

The Hogwarts ward informed him of the arrival of his Potions Master via the main gate. The method of arrival caught the headmaster by surprise, as the Floo network would be a faster way to reach the castle. This could only mean one thing: either Harry or Severus was in trouble and could not travel by magical means. Albus consulted the Hogwarts ward and proved his theory right. The father and son were heading towards the infirmary. Bringing Severus' parcel with him, he quickly walked to the fireplace and shouted, "Hogwarts Hospital Wing!"

When he stepped out after an exhilarating ride he found the infirmary to be empty. "Poppy! Get ready for a patient or two!" Dumbledore called and knocked on the matron's chamber to alert her about the arrival of his two favorite men.

"Headmaster! What in the name of Merlin has happened? It's half past one for God's sake! Let me get dressed properly and I'll be out in a minute!" said Poppy sleepily.

Dumbledore did not wait for her and started preparing one of the beds when he heard Severus' hasty footsteps. "Poppy-!" Severus called loudly until he realized that the headmaster was already there. "Headmaster. Thank Merlin you are aware of my arrival." With long steps he reached the first bed and laid Harry Potter carefully on the table. He then collapsed on a nearby armchair and kept silent to regain his self-control.

Poppy Pomfrey walked out of her chamber and assessed her surrounding. She was about to scold the headmaster and Snape for waking her up in the middle of the night until she realized that she had a patient lying on one of the beds. Her professionalism took over. Forgetting the previous agenda she had in mind, she hurried to her patient and ran various diagnosis charms.

Meanwhile, Dumbledore conjured another armchair next to Severus and sat comfortably, waiting for his man to calm down patiently. When Snape's face became composed, he said, "I trust the transformation did not go too well?"

"It was worse, Headmaster. Potter- Harry was definitely not in a good physical condition and neither was his magical reserve. It seemed that some backlash happened during the transformation but I did not really comprehend what really happened. When I found him he was already unconscious. Vernon Dursley is also dead, in the same room. His uncle died of electrocution. I suppose we will have to ask Harry to find out what took place before the transformation. However, it might be hard for him to recall. He was naked when I found him, Albus! I'm sure you understand what I'm implying here," Severus gave a complete recollection of the events from his point of view. He got emotional towards the end of it and started shaking lightly.

To say Dumbledore was flabbergasted would be an understatement. He had no idea that Vernon Dursley would ever do such a hideous thing. "How did that happen? What about Petunia and her son?"

Shaking his head lightly Severus said, "They were not in the house. I assume Vernon had sent them away. Anyway, I trust you will arrange someone to clean up the mess? Muggle negative publicity towards Harry may cause our side trouble as well."

"Yes, I'll do that right now. Anyway here's the parcel. You should read the second page of the letter since you are still addressing your son as Harry," Dumbledore handed the parcel to him with a small encouraging smile although his face still looked quite grim. He then got up and left to settle the situation at 4 Privet Drive.

Severus took out the second page of the letter and found his son's birth certificate.

_Birth Certificate_

_Sebastian Severus Snape_

_Born to Lily Annabelle Potter and Severus Amadeus Snape  
><em>_July 31st, 1980  
><em>_23:59_

**_To be continued…_**

* * *

><p>AN: There you go! The second chapter. This chapter took me a while to write because I have to balance between putting too much details and keeping the story flow. I don't like the first and last part of the chapter either. I'm crap in writing action-full scenes! *facepalm*

I was also trying to work out the plot. I finally settled in making Harry skip his 6th year to train and get used to Severus. No, Harry won't be coming back under different name either. You'll have to wait and see how things work out in the end. But I'll try to get Harry in contact with several students his age (many witches too!).

Thank you for the reviews, story alerts and favs. Also for those reading the story anonymously. Please keep them coming! :D. Reviews help me to know what improvements can be made. Suggestions and flames are welcome too!

Review. Review. Review! ~Jollybird


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

**To Die for Rebirth**

**Chapter 3**

**Reactions, Responses, and Waking Up**

While a certain young wizard was sleeping soundly under the supervision of Madam Pomfrey in the hospital wing, Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape was about to have a quiet conversation in the lounge area. The younger of the two had remained by his son's side until Dumbledore came back and dragged him away to the lounge. The headmaster had literally led him and had to push him down to get him to sit.

Severus was having the weirdest day of his life. Who would have thought that Harry Potter was abused? Obviously no one had ever considered that possibility. How could the savior of Wizarding World be in the mercy of a pitiful muggle! Who would have thought that Harry Potter had always been his son? They were not alike in anything. In fact, Severus would say that both of them are like polar opposites, bare the fact that both of them had been abused. Who would have thought that Lily Potter was capable of hiding things of this magnitude from everyone else? He couldn't believe his eyes when he read that he had been obliviated because even when he was young his Occlumency abilities had been quite strong. Lily also had enough guts making his son another birth certificate and naming Sebastian after him. Her blasted Gryffindor quality. Severus could not help but felt thankful to her though.

Dumbledore cut his musing short. The old man had been calling his name for a while but he only registered it when he felt a pat on his right knee. Severus jerked lightly and turned towards the headmaster with a confused look. He was certain that he had not moved to the lounge area.

"Finally, Severus! I've been trying to get you back to earth for quite some time. You didn't even realize when I guided you to the seating area, dear boy," said Albus with a hint of mirth dancing in his eyes, although grave was more apt in describing the elder wizard's eyes.

"I… I still couldn't believe all this, Albus!" he started. "How could Lily hide this matter from everyone else? And I can't even begin to think of the implication. A son! I have a son. And it's the boy-wonder no less!" After his outburst he continued in a sadder tone, "You know how I've been treating him for the last five years. It's incorrigible to think that I have added in to the pressure on that child… And after the last treatment Dursley gave him I won't be surprised that he will break down at some point of time. How am I supposed to care for my son if he doesn't even trust me, Albus?" Severus hid his face in his palms in exasperation.

Albus Dumbledore sighed and reached out to bring Severus' hands down. He held both hands together and reassured the stoic mine. He noticed no evident of tears on his face but from years of experience he could tell that the man he loved as his own son was deeply troubled. "Severus, this is truly unexpected. I am at fault for placing Harry with his relatives. At that point of time I thought that was the best alternative. Admittedly, that was one of my worst mistakes in life," he shook his head lightly and smiled sadly. Finally successful in catching his Potions Master's eyes, Dumbledore said, "Being a parent might be new to you, but I know you are capable of being a good father. The future won't be easy for you and Sebastian but I'm confident that the two of you will manage. I will be there for the two of you to redeem myself for the mistakes I have made in the past."

Dumbledore patted Severus' hands lightly and dropped them. "Now, in a lighter mood, let me tell you what will happen to the Dursleys! I don't think Vernon deserved to be remembered at all, so I transfigured him into a suckling pig and set the house on fire. Knowing Harry, or should I say Sebastian, he wouldn't want to have anything to do with Vernon ever again. I saw the house burned down to the ground personally. My sources found out that Petunia and Dudley were away for vacation in France so I left them alone for the time being. They will suffer the consequences as well though. Apparently when Vernon got fired from his job, he had little savings left after almost completely spending his money on the vacation he had given his wife and son. The 4 Privet Drive land deed had always been under Lily's name and with the house burned, they have nowhere else to stay. The muggles won't even know that Vernon has died either."

The complete recap almost cheered up the troubled Potions Master but it was still not enough to make him rebound to his usual self. "Thank you, Headmaster. I'm glad to hear that they did not get away lightly. Please excuse me, I'm going to check on Sebastian."

The Headmaster watched Severus Snape's retreating figure with a sad smile. The man just reconfirmed his earlier belief that he will be a good father to Sebastian.

* * *

><p>Harry Potter was floating peacefully. He had to admit that this was the best feeling he had ever experienced. His surroundings were bright and he felt as light as a feather. That brought him to wonder if he had transcended to another realm. The light-weight feeling seemed to last forever and Harry was perfectly content being there. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain emitting from his back. Slowly his vision darkened and the pain spread out, engulfing him excruciatingly. He was forced to jerk up and his sight changed again. The familiar whiteness of hospital wing welcomed Harry. Sadly the painless and feather-light feeling did not accompany the similar brightness. He could feel that he was sore all over.<p>

Harry could not really see clearly because he did not have his spectacles with him. He tried extending his arm to the end table with the hope of finding his spectacles but it was futile. Even the slight gesture seemed to send thousands of needles piercing his nerves, causing him to let out an _ouch_. His small movement and soft sound triggered a jerking response from a black shadow sitting not too far away from his bed. He could see that the person had stood up and made his way to him. In panic Harry tried to move further to his left to curl up but he was frozen in place because of the tremendous pain involved.

"Relax. It's me," the distinctive silky smooth voice of Professor Snape reached his ears. "I'll go get Madam Pomfrey. Stay where you are and try not to move so much." He then left to find the matron in her office.

His professor's voice had been impassive as usual but he had used a much gentler tone. Harry knew he should have been ashamed of being caught in such situation by his Potions professor but somehow he couldn't care less. He was just glad that someone had saved him from that hell hole. That simple line of thought brought Vernon back to the front of his mind and he couldn't help but shudder, not noticing that the professor was back with the nurse. Harry just lay stiff on the bed, not registering anything when Madam Pomfrey ran different diagnostics charm over him.

Severus watched his son in concern while the nurse ran the checks. "Try to bring him back, Severus. I'm going to prepare some potions he'd need to take," the matron told him softly after she was done checking on Sebastian's condition and left.

"Potter. Earth to Potter."

The boy made no acknowledgement of hearing him.

"Potter. Potter," he whispered, not wanting the boy to retreat from the use of loud voice. He knew how sensitive abused children were to shouting and harsh voices.

On his mind, Harry was replaying the scene where Vernon murdered Hedwig just to provoke him. That uncle of his was evil. He hated his uncle with passion. If Harry was asked to rank his most hated person list, he might even put Vernon Dursley on top of Voldemort. Harry was lost in the memories of the horrendous things that Vernon had done to him and nausea took him by stride.

"…ry. Harry. Harry Potter!" he heard someone called his name. He deeply appreciated the fact that the person had spoken to him softly. Harry opened his mouth to greet and thank the person but instead he had a coughing fit and threw up. Luckily, Severus was quick to respond and shoved a basin in front of Harry. The younger of the two tried to throw up for a while but nothing could come since he had not eaten anything for days. He froze momentarily when he felt big hands rubbing his back. However, he soon gave in because the rubbing movement actually calmed him down. It did not feel _wrong_ like it was with Vernon. After he calmed down he managed to croak out, "Thank you, Sir."

Harry could see Severus' nod and gladly take the glass of water he was given. He gulped greedily but slowed down after he was reminded not to drink too fast. The water felt like a long-awaited Oasis to Harry and he returned the glass gratefully after finishing it. Feeling confident that he could speak with better voice after the rehydration, Harry asked the ultimate and obvious question, "What happened, Professor Snape?"

The father was taken aback by the question. His son was handling things quite well. He was glad that the boy still had his mind intact after the traumatic experience. However it held double meaning to Severus. It was quite sad that his son was able to do that as it showed that he had suffered worse or equally bad things. "I checked on you on the night of your birthday, Potter. You have not been writing to the Order to update us with your predicaments," he said softly, erasing traces of concern and the pang he felt when calling his own son Potter. Severus knew that he could not possibly dump the reality that he was the boy's father then because of the current pressures occupying his son's mind.

"I have to… apologize," he paused, not sure of how to tell his son of his regrets. "I have to apologize for treating you like a pampered brat, Potter. I had the image that your relatives worshipped the ground you were standing. I was… wrong," he ended softly with tinge of regrets lacing his voice.

The-boy-who-lived was stunned. His stoic and arrogant potions master just apologized to him so sincerely. Of course Harry would not forget the five years of slandering and mistreatment he had received but the apology had made him view his professor from a new light. Here was someone who was not afraid of admitting his mistakes and had the courage to apologize. His only father figure, Sirius, was far from that picture. Sirius had been childish, snobbish and could be downright cruel at times. He recalled seeing Snape's memories about their last OWLs day where Sirius and James Potter had humiliated the man in front of everybody.

The uncomfortable silence was thankfully broken by Madam Pomfrey who had managed to prepare all the potions he needed to take. He looked aghast at the arrays of Potions that he would need to drink. Harry gave the matron a begging look but she was unrelenting and she started shoving potions after potions under his nose.

Harry welcomed the last potion which he identified as Dreamless Sleep. Finishing his last gulp, his head hit the pillow. Before slipping into the sleep he had looked forward to, he caught his Professor's eyes and gave him a small nod. Apology accepted.

He missed the slightly watery and proud eyes of the Potions Master at his response.

_**To be continued…**_

* * *

><p>Note: I uploaded this chapter yesterday but it won't show up. So I deleted it and re-add the chapter. Hopefully FFNet will cooperate!<p>

A/N: Third chapter! Not much action but I hope the characters' reactions were realistic and believable. Harry will learn the truth in the next chapter!

Anyway, I am still rooting for Sebastian skipping his sixth year for training and adjustments. However, regarding his coming back to Hogwarts I have two conflicting choices. Should Sebastian repeat sixth year together with Luna/Ginny etc., or should he still be a seventh year? Should it ever be known publicly that Sebastian used to be Harry Potter? Should there be horcruxes and Deathly Hallows? So many ideas that can go to different directions! Let me know what you think!

Also, thank you for the reviews, story alerts and favs (also to those reading the story anonymously). Looking at the story stats is very addictive! So please keep them coming! :) Reviews help me to make improvements. I'm also open to critics and suggestions!

Review. Review. Review. ~Stressed out** Jollybird** due to school stuffs piling up. (2 Feb 2012)


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

**To Die for Rebirth**

**Chapter 4**

**Reluctant Acceptance**

Two days had passed since Harry first got back his consciousness. The potions regimen that Madam Pomfrey had prepared for him worked wonders despite the effort it took to swallow the mostly bad-tasting medicines. The past two days had passed in a breeze for him since he was not able to stay awake for more than 10 minutes. He had been able to move around with minimal pain although still being quite weak. Lucky for him Voldemort was not actively _crucio_-ing people that summer. In fact, Harry had not seen any vision that summer, which often drew his mind to a wondering spree as it was quite uncharacteristic for the Dark Lord to idle around after his very public come-back in the Ministry of Magic Atrium. That thought would cause his mind to divert and think about Sirius' unfortunate death because of his own incompetence.

Harry stirred and woke up from his slumber, feeling the significance improvement of his health. He could still feel slight pain when he stirred but he felt that he would be able to stay awake longer. He did not feel as weak as before. Opening his eyes, he found his Potions professor at his bedside. Severus Snape appeared to be reading a book of which title Harry could not discern due to his horrendous eyesight. He seemed to not notice that younger boy had wakened up. Harry kept silent and observed the man.

He was quite sure that the professor had always been there during his 10-minute consciousness routine. If his memory served him right, the professor had always called for Madam Pomfrey when he woke up and let the matron did her work on him. They had not talk to each other spare the first time when he apologized to him because he would have been fast asleep again after taking the potions. He was not sure on what to feel to have someone always looking after him this way, especially when that someone was his most-hated teacher. He could not fathom why the professor would want to stay in the hospital wing with him. His heart warmed up with the thought of someone _caring_, but he quickly erased such stupid insinuation from his mind.

He finally decided to announce his awareness. "Professor Snape? Is that you?" he called softly.

"Yes, Potter." The dark figure approached his bedside and he could make out his teacher's outline better. "Pomfrey said that you should feel better when you wake up today because your magical reserve has started to build up to a decent level. Are you feeling any better?" His tone was unreadable.

"I feel much better, actually. I think I should be able to stay awake longer now," Harry answered quietly. He then decided to take the risk to ask for his spectacles. "Professor Snape, by any chance did you come across my spectacles?"

"No, I did not. I'll conjure one for you though." Snape waved his wand and handed him the exact replica of his previous spectacles. "I charmed it to adjust automatically to your eyesight but the charm won't last forever."

Harry took the spectacles, put it on and said his gratitude. There was an uncomfortable silence afterwards, which was only broken by Harry's rumbling stomach.

"Hungry, Potter?" the Potions Master smirked. "Madam Pomfrey had to attend a conference for the day and would only be back to check on you later. She gave me instructions for your potions to be taken after your meal."

"Wheezy," Snape called and a Hogwarts house-elf popped into existence. "Please prepare a bowl of porridge and chicken soup for Mr. Potter," he said. Wheezy replied with a typical house-elf response and left to prepare Harry's food.

* * *

><p>While waiting for his son's food to be brought over, Severus dragged his chair nearer to the bed and sat down. Not knowing what else to talk about to his son and to uphold his behavior towards one Harry Potter, he took out his book and started reading again, ignoring the boy. The quarterly potions journal was fairly boring to the common wizard but not to Severus Snape because of his extensive. The journal held the latest breakthrough in Potions and also different research findings that could make potions making much simpler.<p>

Through his peripheral vision he noticed that the Wheezy had brought his son's meal on a tray and set it in front of him. It was not long before he completely forgot about the last passage that he had read and focused his mind on his son although he was still holding the Potions journal, pretending to read. He saw Sebastian tentatively tasting the porridge to measure its temperature and started eating. Severus had to restrain himself from smiling from the pride of seeing his son wisely eating the food slowly although he was famished. He was then appalled by the thought of it. He, Severus Snape, was proud of the son he just found out a few days ago. That was too uncharacteristic of him. He tried to revert back to his journal but he was unable to not look at the eating boy.

He took in his new appearance. The boy got many of his features from his mother. Contrary to popular belief, Lily was quite the plain Jane. She was pretty, but not outstandingly pretty. She had no distinctive feature except for her emerald orbs that swirled with knowledge and power – the same eyes that his son had inherited. Although Sebastian had his mother's non-unique features, Severus had to admit that it was perfect for his son. Lily's plain features gave a soft and kind look. Yet, the slightly-squared jaw, high cheekbones and sharp nose that resembled his, gave Sebastian a strong and manly appearance. He was too entranced to realize that his son had finished his meal for a while.

Severus finally noticed the empty plate and put his journal down, only to find his son looking at him. Merlin knew how long he had been stared at and he was sure he hadn't flipped a page since he sat down. The potions professor had to engage all his will to fight flush of embarrassment from coming appearing on his pale face. He faked a cough and said with his normal, slightly condescending tone, "Why don't you tell me that you are done, Potter?"

"Oh. Umm.. I called you a few times, Professor Snape. But you were reading with full concentration," Potter said after being caught in surprise by his question.

He just gave a terse nod and called Wheezy the house-elf to clear the tray. He then retrieved three phials of potions from the nearby cabinet and handed it over to his son, "Here, drink these. The bright green potion is nutritional potion for your… nutrition deficiencies. This pink potion is for muscle healing, and this purple one is to assist you with your magical reserve recovery. Poppy is not giving you anymore Dreamless Sleep potion because extended usage of the potion can cause addiction."

Severus watched Sebastian drank the three potions dutifully before taking a big gulp of water to wash down the terrible flavor.

"Professor?"

He gave permission to his son to continue with a small nod as he put away the empty phials.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" asked Sebastian innocently.

Severus froze. Sebastian seemed to notice this and quickly added, "Sorry, you don't have to answer that. I – umm.. I'm just being stupid. But, thank you! I'm grateful that you decided to check on me and brought me here."

The older man was conflicted whether he should tell Sebastian about their relationship or not. He was sure that sooner or later, his son would know. Weighing his options in mind, he finally decided to let the truth out. He sighed, rub the bridge of his nose and took out Lily's letter and Sebastian's birth certificate.

"It's fine, Potter - Harry. Here, you will know once you read this," he handed the two pieces of parchment that had changed his views radically since a few days ago.

His son took the parchments and started reading. He observed his constantly changing expression and realized how emotionally transparent Sebastian had been. The phrase of 'wearing his emotions on his sleeves' aptly described the boy. Severus realized that he would have to teach Occlumency to his son again as they were now sure that Sebastian had been somehow connected to the Dark Lord.

"Is this true?" Sebastian's voice broke his chain of thought.

Severus looked at those intense emerald eyes and held his gaze while nodding jerkily. His son moved the first parchment behind and read the second one while touching the space where his name was in wonder. "My name is Sebastian, and I'm named after you?"

The older man wisely decided not to answer what he assumed to be a rhetorical question as Sebastian just continued speaking afterwards. "Over the summer I've noticed my changing features and I have known that James Potter couldn't have been my father. I've been losing his features as they morphed to what it is right now. But never had I imagined that you, of all people, will be my father. Thanks for saving my mum from those dirty bastards. Somehow I wish that we had known this long time ago so I don't have to go back to the Dursleys every summer… Sebastian, huh? I kind of like the name." He finished his monologue softly with a hint of sadness.

Severus couldn't only guess that the sadness was directed to the memoir of his mother and the wishful thinking. "I wish that I had known as well, Potter."

"You can call me Sebastian, I suppose. As it is apparently my true name. I'm actually glad to leave Harry Potter behind. The fame and all that bullshit, you know."

How wrong had he been about his son! He had always assumed that Harry Potter enjoyed walking in the limelight with his followers kissing the ground he walked by. "Language, Sebastian," he reprimanded his son lightly and took the parchments that his son had offered back.

"I know you have apologized about your actions to me in the past but I don't think I can forget them. You had been a total _jerk_ to me. Sorry but even with the letter I don't think I can see you as a father figure, … Snape," Sebastian said with slight vengeance but ended his speech being unsure of what to call his father. He then added hastily when he saw his father's face constricting, "For now, at least."

Severus had to restrain himself from letting out a big breathe and said, "I don't expect you to, Sebastian. But I hope we can build up something over time. Would you like that?"

At Sebastian's tentative nod he added, "You can call me Severus. Or Sir. It's weird to call me Snape since you are a Snape as well. And we need to work on your language, young man."

That ended the lengthiest conversation Sebastian had had since the start of summer and they settled down in a comfortable silence. Severus went back to his Potions journal and gave his son an older copy to read.

* * *

><p>"Severus? How is Sebastian doing?" came the jolly voice of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.<p>

Both Snapes had been reading the journals for about half an hour and they looked up to the colorfully clothed old man. Dumbledore was wearing his favorite purple robe with blinking golden stars patterns.

"Oh, hello there Harry. Good to see you awake!" Dumbledore greeted his favorite pupil cheerfully.

"It's Sebastian now, Headmaster. Severus has shown me my mum's letter," Sebastian replied curtly, creating evident tension in the room.

Dumbledore face turned grave as he conjured a chair next to where Severus was sitting. "Sebastian, I'm truly sorry about hiding the prophecy from you for so long. My intention was to let you have your childhood without the burden of the prophecy. I planned to tell you when you turn seventeen but last year's incident was unavoidable."

Both professors could see the struggle in Sebastian's face. "Fine. It's not as if I've ever had a carefree childhood though," anger interlaced with sadness colored his voice.

"Ah yes, about that. I have to apologize for putting you with… your relatives. I did not expect that he would go so far. I'm sorry, Sebastian," Dumbledore said with regret evident in both his voice and facial expression. Sebastian just kept quiet and still looked mad although Severus could see the hysteria in his eyes from the mention of his relatives.

Severus decided to step in, "Vernon was dead when I collected you, Sebastian. He died of electrocution. Dumbledore had transfigured his body to a piece of furniture and set 4 Privet Drive in flame."

No response from his son. "We need to decide if you would ever want to reveal that you had been Harry Potter to the community or not. The headmaster had an idea of planting a carbon copy of your body in the burnt ruin and let the authorities find and identify you. That way, Harry Potter would die and no one would suspect you." Sebastian perked up a bit after hearing that idea. He was tired of all the publicity he had gotten as Harry Potter and the execution of the idea would give him reprieve from the savior of the Wizarding World stigma.

"Yes please, I would like that to happen," Sebastian said softly and looked at Dumbledore with a gaze full of meaning. Although he was still mad at the old man, erasing Harry Potter from his identity would do him a lot of good. His gaze to his headmaster seemed to say, "You do it, Old Man and I will try to forget the wrong you did me."

Dumbledore's twinkling eyes came back as he stood up, "Very well then, Gentlemen. It appeared that I have things to do and a big funeral to arrange."

* * *

><p>It was a grey Friday and the Godric's Hollow cemetery was filled with mourning witches and wizards. News had it that The-Boy-Who-Lived had been found dead in his muggle's relatives house. The muggle news said that his uncle had locked him in his room and burnt the house down due to the pressure of being out of job. His aunt and cousin were away for vacation to France and his uncle was nowhere to be found. Vernon Dursley was officially a fugitive for homicide and arson.<p>

The Wizarding World wept for the lost of their savior. Hogwarts students and professors, ministry workers and even squibs gathered together in the cemetery for the funeral of one Harry Potter. From the distance people could see a row of redheads sitting in the front row, heads down in despair. Next to the coffin stood three figures. A shabby man who was more a father than anyone else to the boy and two best friends: one redhead and one messy brunette.

On that day the world said their farewell to Harry Potter.

Good bye, Harry Potter.

_._

_**To be continued…**_

* * *

><p>AN: Fourth chapter for your weekend accompaniment! Next chapter: Good bye, Harry Potter. When I was throwing around the idea whether Harry Potter should live at all, Dumbledore's decision to burn 4 Privet Drive down came into my mind. Hence, I decided to let Harry die and Vernon Dursley missing as a fugitive (although he was actually dead. Yay! Way to go to sully the Dursley name). I should aim to finish Sebastian's recovery and 1 year training hiatus from Hogwarts by Chapter 10! But fret not, during his training there will be a lot of actions from Sebastian, Severus, The Order, and Voldemort.

May I get your opinions for this chapter? Is Severus being OOC? Sebastian/Harry?

Thank you for the reviews, story alerts and favs (also to those reading the story anonymously). Keep the coming! :)

~** Jollybird** who is expecting a midterm examination next week and another one the week after – accompanied with one presentation and report deadline. (4 Feb 2012)


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

**To Die for Rebirth**

**Chapter 5**

**Settling Down**

The recently found son of Severus Snape, Hogwarts Potions Master extraordinaire, Sebastian had been recovering well over the past few days - physically. Mentally, one could not say the same. His uncle's sexual assault had left him damaged. He often found himself silently thinking about his life and how it had turned out. His thoughts often floated around the decision he had made to kill his Harry Potter persona. A little introspection led him to believe that his decision had been right but he could not help but to think about his old self.

As Harry Potter, Sebastian had grown up to be a withdrawn boy with no friends because of Dudley Dursley. Hogwarts had helped him in opening up because of his two friends who had been as socially awkward as he was. Ron Weasley had been overlooked all his life despite his boisterous façade. Sebastian had always suspected that Hermione Granger did not live a lively childhood as well, most probably being ostracized by her schoolmates because of her Know-It-All attitude. The three friends had progressed socially throughout Hogwarts, albeit in different pace and directions.

Sebastian, as Harry Potter, had improved much in his social skills. He grew some self confidence and was quite proud of himself for being able to lead Dumbledore's Army in his fifth year. He had learned a lot from the said experience and had gotten to know fellow students from different houses better. He had been rather restrained from reaching his full capacity though. This is partly due to his underachieving habits that had been put in place since the Dursleys and because of the numerous Dark-Lord related, trauma causing incidents that he was forced to face. The recent event with his uncle just undid most of his progress. One could say that he had become rather jaded.

Ron Weasley had grown to be even bolder and more boisterous, a Gryffindor icon. Unfortunately the bravery was not accompanied by maturity. He was lazy and judgmental. Sebastian had to always watch what he said to his 5 year best friend, wary of getting into further rows with the redhead like what happened in third and fourth year. Being the best friend of The-Boy-Who-Lived had brought some fame into Ron's head. He often lost himself to his fame and had abandoned his best friends in fury or jealousy. Sebastian would miss Ron for his idiocy and happy-go-lucky attitude but a part of him was glad not to have to deal with the prat and his family any longer. It was not that the Weasleys were bad, but Sebastian never felt really belong. Having grown up alone, the noise of the Weasleys household and extreme display of affection had always driven him crazy at times.

His other best friend, Hermione had come along nicely. She had matured thoroughly and had found her individuality. She had always been confident of her abilities, hence labeled as Know-It-All but a part of the trio had toned that down by much. Hermione carried herself well and with Ron and him supporting her she paid no attention to other students' mocking. Sebastian realized after viewing his Dad's memory of the funeral that he would miss her very much. He felt guilty for leaving his dear friend in the dark. He wished that one day they would be friends again and he could tell her the truth.

His musings were cut short by the arrival of the only three people who knew of his existence.

"Sebastian! How are you feeling this morning?" came the cheerful and charismatic voice of Headmaster Dumbledore.

Sebastian's relationship with the headmaster had recovered ever so slightly after he abided to his wish to let go of Harry Potter but the strain could still be felt by the two parties. He appreciated the elder wizard's wisdom not to use his favorite pet name 'dear boy'.

"I think I have recovered well, Headmaster. Thank you for asking. All thanks to Madam Pomfrey's good hands," he shot the matron a small smile and turned to his… father. "Thanks to you, too, Sir." The word father still sounded foreign in his mind although he had been thinking about him most of the time.

"What brought all of you here together?" he finally asked. Normally the Headmaster would come and visit by himself but this time all three adults came together.

"You are officially discharged today, Mr. Snape. I'm sure you have been waiting for this to happen. You never liked the hospital wing anyway," Poppy Pomfrey said jokingly.

Sebastian looked ready to jump off the bed and go but Dumbledore cut in, "But before you go, we need to discuss several issues."

He scowled lightly at his headmaster but remained quiet.

"First and foremost, following your decision to leave Harry Potter behind, the three of us are currently the only ones who know your true identity. I have no doubt that in the future there may be situations where we have to reveal your true identity to some people but to keep the secret secure for now, I have proposed a magical oath. We have agreed that we will never say a word about your true identity to any other individuals except when you give your expressed permission," Dumbledore said and started the rites for his magical oath.

"I, Albus Dumbledore, swear upon my magic that without the expressed permission of Sebastian Severus Snape, I will never reveal that Sebastian Severus Snape used to be Harry James Potter to any individual. So mote it be."

The rites were repeated by Madam Pomfrey and his father. At the end of each oath, warm golden glow surrounded the witch/wizard who made the oath. Sebastian stared in wonder since it was his first time seeing the ritual done.

"Sebastian, I also want you to promise not to reveal your secret without informing me or the headmaster. The final decision is yours to make but we'd like to monitor who is in-the-know," Severus said his first sentence to him during that visit.

Nodding, Sebastian began his oath, "I, Sebastian Severus Snape, swear that I will inform either Albus Dumbledore or Severus Snape before I reveal that I used to be Harry Potter to any individual. So mote it be."

"As we have discussed previously, to solidify your alibi, you will take this academic year off from Hogwarts and come back next year for your sixth year. Severus told me that he doesn't mind taking the year off as well but currently he is in a very delicate situation. He is currently our only spy in the Dark Lord's circle and it will be suspicious if he takes a leave of absence from the school. It will equally be suspicious to have you stay in Hogwarts either so you will have to stay at Severus' place, Spinner's End. I have arranged for Severus to be able to floo back to his residence during the school year."

"What will I be doing during my one year off, Professor?" Sebastian asked quietly. They had discussed it briefly before that he would take the year off but they never came around to the details.

"That is up to you to decide, Sebastian. But I'd suggest that you study magic and train well. I'm sure we can arrange some tutors coming from our own Order of the Phoenix. You can discuss what you want to do with your father and I'll try my best to help," Dumbledore said carefully.

Sebastian could see that the Headmaster had some ideas running in his head and the tentativeness of communicating his ideas to Sebastian. The young man let it slip for that moment and just nodded.

At that moment, the air next to the headmaster burst out in flame and Fawkes appeared, carrying a letter. Dumbledore took and skimmed his letter. Before he disappeared together with Fawkes, he said, "My apologies, everyone. I have Wizengamot affairs that I need to tend to right away. Sebastian, I've handed your OWL results to your father earlier. I'll drop by Spinner's End sometime tomorrow or the day after."

Severus took control of the conversation, "Get ready to go, Sebastian. I'll go to my living quarter to pack a few things. Meet me there in twenty minutes. Will you assist him, Poppy?"

"Of course, Severus. Come Sebastian, let's get you changed out of the hospital wing garment."

At the matrons' reply he left the hospital wing with his signature billowing robes.

"I wonder how he does that billowing robes thing," he mused.

Poppy rolled his eyes and said, "You'll observe and learn soon enough, young man. Now quick, get changed while I prepare your potions stock for the week."

* * *

><p>The trip to Spinner's End was rather uneventful. Madam Pomfrey accompanied Sebastian to Severus' quarter and they flooed to Spinner's End. The house itself, though, was a different matter. One phrase that best described it would be a comfortable looking bachelor's pad. Sebastian had a look of disbelief etched on his face and turned to face his father. Severus Snape was still holding his expressionless face. He raised an eyebrow.<p>

"What? Is it really that unexpected? I spent a lot of time in Hogwarts and soon it became pointless to go back here. I believe it has been eight years."

The living room seemed habitable. Contrary to his expectations, the potions master's home seemed unbelievably normal. It was about the same size as Privet Drive. It had wooden flooring and off-white painted walls lined up with shelves of books and tomes. A glance down the corridor confirmed that the rest of the house was done in a similar fashion. The living room had a comfortable and warm feeling. Directly facing the fireplace was a dark brown leather comfortably looking couch with glass coffee table. Parchments and papers were stacked neatly in one side of the coffee table. By the side of the couch was a matching armchair. At one of the far corners sat a writing table with papers and parchment strewn across rather messily. At another corner sat a worn upright piano.

"Follow me."

Sebastian followed Severus around the house. "This is the kitchen," he gestured to a medium-sized room with kitchen appliances and a square dining table able to fit four people. "Meals will be served at eight, one, and seven. I prepare the food myself. I expect you be here before meals are served and prepare the table. We can take turns doing the dishes."

Without waiting for Sebastian he continued down the hallway. "This is the Potions lab. I will most probably spend most of my time here or in the living room at my desk. When I'm inside, knock before coming in. I may be working on volatile potions."

Severus pointed on the small bathroom on the passing before heading up the stairs. "The second floor is warded against visitors. They could only access the ground floor. When they emerged upstairs, Sebastian was welcomed by a small common area with a low-height table and cushions in the center. "The common area. I rarely made use of this place but it had a good deal of natural lighting."

He pointed to a pair of big French doors where the sunrays came through. "The balcony. I set up a juice bar there. It's overlooking the neighborhood but charmed with a notice-me-not so that the muggles won't notice."

That left two doors on the right wall and left wall of the common area. "The room on your right is my bedroom, and on your left is your bedroom. Both rooms are equipped with en-suite bathroom."

The potions master walked to the right and opened the door to his bedroom. He stood by the frame and gestured, "My room. You may knock if you need me at night. This tag will let you know if I'm inside. You can find identical tag next to you room's door and the potions lab. Let's go to your room then,"

Severus turned the doorknob and let Sebastian in before following from behind. "Your room. I left it undecorated but you can choose to decorate it as you wish. You will find some of my old clothes, resized to your measurement, in the wardrobe. I left a book of house interior spells and charms on your end table. Similar books can be found in the shelf next to the piano downstairs if you wish to look for more advanced text. We shall go shopping sometime this week for your wand and clothes."

Sebastian's room was around the size of the living room. Not unlike the other rooms, it also had wooden flooring and off-white walls. A four-poster king-size bed sat in the middle of the room, covered with off-white bed sheets and navy bedcover. There was a glass window that allowed morning sun to go in. A study desk made from dark wood was next to the window, while a matching wardrobe was placed on the other side of the bed. Next to the wardrobe was a full body length mirror and a doorway leading to the bathroom.

Sebastian felt his knees gone weak and sat down on the bed. It was by far the most amazing room he had seen. His room at 12 Grimmauld Place couldn't be compared because of the dark and dingy feel. This room, on the other hand, was bright and lively. He looked at his still expressionless father and said, "Thanks. It's a really nice room."

Severus nodded and said, "It's almost time for lunch. You can go freshen up while I prepare our lunch. A few house rules before I go: One, be punctual during meal time. Two, keep your room clean. Three, keep the noise down; as you can tell I revel quietness. Four, never lie to me. Five, get me if you find yourself in bad situations; no keeping things on your own. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir."

* * *

><p>Mentally exhausted, would be an apt phrase to describe what Severus Snape was feeling as he prepared lunch rather mechanically. It was not even the middle of the day yet and what he wanted most right now was to collapse on his bed and had a short nap. He was still having mixed feeling regarding Sebastian. His son had been nothing but polite. However, for a man who had been alone most of his life, Severus found the change in his situation to be quite disconcerting. It was only thanks to his Occlumency that he managed to control himself and not yap and snap at the fragile boy. Instead, he had talked to his son very curtly with none of his usual drawling and sarcasm.<p>

Severus swept away all thoughts from his head and focused on his cooking. He had always enjoyed cooking, which was similar to Potions. For that day, he had decided to serve some garlic bread and garden salad for starters, and a huge pot of chicken and vegetable soup for the main dish. He had added different ingredients into the soup to make it as nutritious as possible, including some pasta as carbohydrates. He was stirring the soup when Sebastian appeared in the kitchen.

He gestured to one of the cabinets holding utensils, plates, and place mats. From the corner of his eyes Severus observed his son diligently setting the table with ease. He had not been a spoiled child after all, nothing like his unjustified presumptions before. He turned back to his cooking at added some spices to the soup before letting it shimmer for a while.

"Your O.W.L.s results is on the table. You can go ahead and read it while I serve lunch," Severus said in his monotonous voice, took a big casserole and pour the soup in. He then spelled the soup to stay warm at comfortable eating temperature before serving lunch to the table. "Salad, garlic bread, and chicken soup for lunch."

His son just started reading his results and only gave him a nod of acknowledgement. He proceeded to sit across the boy, served himself some salad, and started eating slowly.

Sebastian moved to put down his O.W.L.s results but Severus extended his arm to him, "May I?"

The boy nodded and handed the parchment to him. He folded open the letter and started reading, skimming the opening paragraph and went directly to the scores.

_Astronomy - A_

_Care of Magical Creatures - E_

_Charms - E_

_D.A.D.A - O_

_Divination - P (failed)_

_Herbology - E_

_History of Magic - D (failed)_

_Potions - E_

_Transfiguration - E_

Severus frowned. Seven O.W.L.s was not bad but the grades were not quite exemplary. Exceeds Expectations for most of his subjects and one Outstanding on Defence Against the Dark Arts. "Seven O.W.L.s, not too bad. But you can do better than that, I'm sure. And Divination, really? What drives you to take that fraudulent subject anyway?"

His son shrugged, "I just followed Ron. I assumed he knew best since he is raised as a wizard. And yes, I hope I could have done better for my O.W.L.s. I have to admit that I did not put my best in school and I was distracted by visions during the O.W.L.s testing." He took the parchment back, refolded it and put it back inside the envelope next to him.

Severus' frown deepened. "It's important to have good foundation of magic. Magic O.W.L.s level and below are the basic for further studies. I have a proposition. Why don't you retake the O.W.L.s next year under your current identity? During your one-year off you can prepare and review the materials. I'd suggest you take either Ancient Runes or Arithmancy, too. Or both, should you decide to like it. Those two electives may not be as practical as the rest but they give good understanding on magic and how it works."

Sebastian was contemplating the idea. At first he was against retaking his O.W.L.s but his father's explanation regarding the importance of basic made him to rethink. Sooner or later, the Wizarding World would be at war. He was still unsure about his position in the world, whether he would be taking part in the war or not. However, with the looming prophecy he would somehow be involved one way or another. Although he just recently found out about his father, he had grown attached to the concept of having a parent. Severus Snape being a spy among the Dark Lord ranks did not give him the peace of mind. He would not have his parent taken away from him for the second time. Resolute, Sebastian nodded and said, "I would like that, please. Can I request for further study in Defence Against the Dark Arts and dueling, too?"

The potions master had to mask his surprised face and responded with a slight smirk, "Of course. Dumbledore actually had a lesson plan in mind for that one. We can discuss with him when he visit. He also requested me to train you in Occlumency to protect your identity and negate some of your… connection to the Dark Lord. That is, if you are agreeable?"

His son cringed at the mention of Occlumency and Dark Lord. He was sure that it brought back bad memories from the year before but he conceded.

"We'll work on your schedule later. Now, eat your lunch."

A comfortable silence stretched as the two Snapes devoured their lunch. There was still some leftover soup and Severus got up to keep it in the cabinet after putting a stasis charm.

"Thank you for lunch. It was delicious. May I… cook dinner tonight?"

"You cook?" His son nodded. "Fine, you can prepare dinner. Fresh ingredients are in the cooler. I have arranged it to be restocking so you should be able to find anything there. Same goes with the spices cabinet there."

* * *

><p><em><strong>To be continued…<strong>_

A/N: Fifth chapter is up! Sorry for the longer update period; I'm a bit tied up with school work and accompanying my visiting parents. On to the story line, I hope you like where I am taking it to. Currently I have no ship for the story although Sebastian may go out for a date or two – nothing serious yet. Girls I have in mind: Hermione (look at the potential of Sebastian's inner conflict!), Daphne/Astoria, Luna, another Hufflepuff/Ravenclaw fifth year (most likely going to be OC) who is going to be Sebastian's friend when he goes back to Hogwarts.

Thank you for the reviews, alerts & favs. Also, Happy Valentine's Day!

~** Jollybird** (13 Feb 2012)


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